Operating lever mechanism



March 18, 1941.- w s SAUNDERS 2 235238 OPERATING LEVER MECHANISM Filed May 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. WALTER S S- SAU N DERS March 18, 1941. I w. s. SAUNDERS- ,235,238

OPERATING LEVER MECHANI SM Filed my 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 26A 33A 37A INVENTOR.

WALTER $.SAUNDERS 7 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 18, 1941 PATENT ofrrlciiE OPERATING LEVER MECHANISM Walter S. Saunders Pontiac, Mich, assignor to American Forging & Socket Company, Pontiac, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application May 15, 1939, Serial No. 273,6l

7 Claims.

This invention relates to control levers, and particularly to hand levers of the type, used .for operating the emergency brakes of motor vvehicles, although it will be apparent thatthe invention is readily applicable to other uses, and is in fact useful wherever it is desired toprovide convenient means for manually setting'and releasing, at will, remotely located mechanism.

An important object of the invention is to provide a hand leverof thecharacter indicated which is simple, and less expensive than previously known devices, but which is nevertheless of very rugged construction, virtually impossible to release accidentally, yet veryeasy to release,

A further object is to provide such a hand lever mechanism having pawl and ratchet .holding means, and a trigger release member forthe pawl means, so designed that the leverage applied to the pawl by the trigger release means is considerably multiplied, to facilitate release of the pawl when the brakes, or other controlled mechanism, are set hard.

Another object is to provide such an improved hand lever which is so designed that .a single spring sufiices to hold both the triggerand pawl in their normal positions, and a single. pivot may be used to support both the trigger and pawl, as a result of which both labor and parts are eliminated in manufacture, and an important econ-,

omy is effected in the cost of construction.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred. embodiments of my invention and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic vertical sectional view through the dash, cowl, instrument panel and adjacent forward portions of amotor vehicle, shown equipped with a brake lever constructed in accordance with the present inven-. tion.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the brake lever, on a somewhat larger scale.

Figure 3 is a. cross section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a View on a larger scale, partly in section and partly in side elevation, showing the pawl and ratchet portions and. trigger mounting.

Figure 5 is a sectional detail of, the spring mounting.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing a somewhat modified construction.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail of the spring mounting of the modified construction.

Figure 8 is a front elevational view of the .5 brake lever of Figure 6, taken substantially as indicated by the line and arrows 8-8 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the line 9--9 of Figure 6, and looking in the direction of the arrows. A

Figure 10 is a. view similar to Figure 3, showing another modified construction; and

Figure 11 is a fragmentary front elevational view, taken substantially as indicatedby the line and arrows I l-l l of Figure 10. g 1

Referring now to the drawings, in which reference character I!) designates the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle (fragmentarily shown) and an instrument panel ll, dash panel [-2, engine compartment 54, and cowl I5 are illustrated in the typical arrangement which they conventionally occupy in motor cars, it willbe seen that a brake lever mechanism is shown supported by a bracket ll secured to the dash and cowl portions beneath the instrument panel. 1 Thehanger 2i), riveted or otherwiserigidly secured to the supporting bracket, is formed with an integral ratchetportion 22 disposed concentrically with respectto the pivot 24 which supports the hand lever 25. Thelower or; handgrip portion of the lever is of closed, generally tubular form, while an intermediate portion is o f channel shape, open at the front to slidably receive a trigger 38, formed as a lever, pivoted to the main ve 2 1 1 1 B 1 5 whi als iv ta usports; the pawl 33. I

A cable is attached to the lever at asuitable point somewhat farther from the fulcrum, as by pin 31, the cable being connectedto the; brake rigging or other mechanism, to be operated not I shown).

A finger portion 3,4,integra1 with the pawl, project's downwardly to aposition in thepath of swinging movement of the trigger 30, the ;arrangement being such thatwhen the. trigger, is 1 pressed, the pawl is released, while when the trigger is released, the pawl reengages .the ratchet to hold the lever in any-set position. .It will be seen that ,a single leaf springlliflv serves to return both the pawlv and trigger, the normal 4. position of the trigger being .such that it. is slightly spaced from the finger 3 5 of the pawl, as indicated at 42. The lower end of the spring is hooked in suitable apertures (undesignated) in the front face of the channel shaped trigger,

l2 means the hooked portion of the spring being designated M. The spring is bowed so that its central portion bears against the: interior of the opposite face of the lever, forcing the trigger out- 5 wardly with respect to the lever, while the farther end of the spring bears against the finger portion 34 of the pawl, to swing the nose of the latter upwardly into engagement with the ratchet. The spacing, at 42, between the pawl and trigger, will be seen to be sufiicient to allow the pawl to ride over the teeth without imparting motion to the trigger, when the lever is pulled back to set the brakes. This clearance also serves to prevent accidental release of the pawl.

In the somewhat modified construction shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9, in which parts corresponding to those already described have been given like reference characters, distinguished by'the addition of the letter A to each, the spring 40A is secured at its upper end to the lower arm 34A of the pawl, being curled and fitted in a socket therein, as indicated at 4| A. The pawl is formed as a bellcrank, its upper arm 33A engaging the ratchet 22A, and the parts being similarly carried by a hanger 20A.

In the construction shown in Figures 10 and 11 the parts are maintained in yieldable engagement, and lost motion and rattling prevented, by means of a tongue 53, struck inwardly from the body of the triggerin position to be engaged by the pawl arm 343, which is normally maintained in engagement therewith by the upper end of the spring 40B. The tongue is relatively resilient, and cannot exert suflicient force upon or impart suilicient movement to the pawl to disengage it when the parts are at rest. An abutment 54 formed upon the pawl arm I 343 limits the distortion of the tongue 53, so

that it cannot be strained beyond its elastic limit. The other end of the spring 40B, not shown in the figure, acts similarly to the springs 40 and 40A already described,-to maintain the trigger in the released position.

5 I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiments to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim: Y i

. 1. An operating lever mechanism for brakes and the like comprising in combination with a support, a lever pivoted thereto, a clutch member pivoted on the lever and releasably engageable with a cooperating clutch portion carried by the support, and a trigger member mounted co-pivotally with the clutch member upon the lever and limitedly swingable independently of said clutch member but engageable .therewithto release the same, said trigger member extending generally parallel to the main lever and being limitedly swingable with relation thereto to actuate the clutch member. I

2. Means as set forth in claim 1 including a common spring engageable with the clutch member and the trigger and urgingsaid clutch member toward clutched position and the trigger away from the clutch member.

3. Means as set forth in claim 1 including spring means yieldably opposing independent movement of said trigger and clutch members.

4. An operating lever mechanism for brakes and the like comprising in combination with a 5 support, a lever pivoted thereto, a clutch member pivoted on the lever and releasably engageable with a cooperating clutch portion carried by the support, a trigger member also pivotally mounted on the lever and movable to actuate 10 the clutch member to release the same, and also movable to a clutch-engaging position, said trigger member extending generally parallel to the main lever and being limitedly swingable with relation thereto, and common spring means for 15 the trigger and the clutch member comprising a leaf spring of bowed form, the central portion of said spring reacting against the lever, one end of the spring reacting against the clutch memheir to urge the same toward engaged position, 20 and the other end of the spring reacting against the trigger to urge the same toward clutchengaged position.

5. An operating lever mechanism for brakes and the like comprising in combination with a 25 support, a lever pivoted thereto, a clutch member pivoted on the lever and releasably engageable with a cooperating clutch portion carried by the support, a trigger member also pivotally mounted on the lever and engageable with the clutch member to actuate the same to released position, said trigger also being movable to clutch-engaged position; spring means urging the clutch member toward engaged position and urging the trigger toward clutch-engaged posi- 1" tion, and a resilient portion maintaining constant connection between the trigger and clutch member but permitting limited independent movement thereof.

6. An operating lever mechanism for brakes 0 and the like comprising in combination with a support, a lever pivoted thereto, a clutch member pivoted on the lever and releasably engageable with a cooperating clutch portion carried by the support, a trigger member also pivotally 45 mounted on the lever and engageable with the clutch member to actuate the same to released position, said trigger also being movable to clutch-engaged position, spring means urging the clutch member toward engaged position and 60 urging the trigger toward clutch-engaged position, .a resilient portion carried by the trigger member and constantly engaging the clutch member and urging said .members apart with a force insufilcient to release said clutch'member, 55 said resilientiportion beingyieldable to permit limited independent movement of the trigger member and clutch member.

7. In combination with means as set forth in claim .6 an abutment portion providing rigid 60 connection between said clutch member and trigger member upon a predetermined'degree of flexure of said resilient portion, said abutment means limiting both the deformation of said resilient portion and the independent movement 65 of the trigger and clutch members during actuation of the latter toward released position.

WALTER s.- SAUNDERS. 7o 

